Uncanny Valley - Chapter 4
"Thank you." The other person politely expressed their gratitude for the trust, and then began to recount the memory that had left a deep impression on her mind.
"I am a language major at Yunnan Nationalities University. There are many ethnic minorities in Yunnan, and my main focus is on their native languages used in daily life. About half a year ago, I received a request for help from a mental hospital in the provincial capital..."
"A mental hospital?" Luo Fei interjected, puzzled. He couldn't see any connection between this and Xu Xiaowen's major.
"Yes. This mental hospital admitted a strange patient, whose symptoms... I think you can guess."
Luo Fei blurted out: "Schizophrenia caused by excessive fright?"
Xu Xiaowen hummed in affirmation: "The hospital encountered a problem when treating him. The patient was speaking some incomprehensible words, and because he kept repeating the same few sentences over and over, the doctor judged that this was not unconscious rambling, but very likely some kind of indigenous language of a minority group."
"So they invited you over because they wanted to know what that person was saying?"
"Yes."
"So you understood what he said?" Luo Fei had already sensed that something very crucial was hidden in this person's words, and he held his breath, waiting for the other person to continue.
"He said that in August, the demons of the Valley of Uncanny Things will come to Longzhou," Xu Xiaowen said clearly, word by word.
August? It's August now! Luo Fei was stunned.
He had been full of hope, thinking he might find some clues related to the cause of the illness. But who knew that the patient, who was far away in Yunnan, would utter a prophecy.
Mysterious, bizarre, incomprehensible yet extremely accurate prophecies!
Part Five: Lecture on Phobias
After ending the call with Xu Xiaowen, Luo Fei called Zhang Yu, explaining the situation and asking for updates on the autopsy results. During their conversation, he learned that Zhou Liwei was also at the forensic center, working alongside Zhang Yu on the autopsy. Finding it difficult to communicate over the phone, Luo Fei decided to head to the forensic center as well.
It was completely dark when they arrived at their destination. Although it was the height of summer in August, the chill that wafted from the morgue still made Luo Fei shiver.
"Wow, it's really cold in here, maybe 20 degrees Celsius?" Luo Fei gasped, crossed his arms, and rubbed his bare arms with his palms.
Zhang Yu stepped forward, handed over a long-sleeved white coat, then made a shushing gesture and nodded towards the morgue.
Zhou Liwei stood at the front of the mortuary platform, leaning over Yu Ziqiang's naked body. His eyes were bright and unwavering, showing no reaction to Luo Fei's arrival, clearly focused on some important task.
Luo Fei stepped forward gently and discovered that the deceased's hair had been completely shaved off, and a piece of skull on the left side of the top of the head had been removed, leaving a "skylight" as if it had been surgically opened. Zhou Liwei held a flashlight in his left hand and inserted a thin metal object into the deceased's skull through the "skylight" with his right.
"The upper sixth region of the left brain is the part that controls the generation of various emotions in the human body," Zhang Yu whispered in Luo Fei's ear.
Luo Fei nodded. He saw the metal object in Zhou Liwei's hand stay in the deceased's skull for a moment before slowly withdrawing. The head of the metal object was a small, flat spoon containing a small amount of the deceased's brain tissue.
Zhou Liwei put down his flashlight, picked up a small glass vial, and placed the brain tissue he had just extracted into it. After finishing, he let out a long sigh of relief and nodded to Luo Fei in greeting, "Captain Luo, hello!"
Luo Fei noticed that there was a fine layer of sweat on his forehead, indicating that the work he had just done had been quite strenuous.
"I thought you doctors were only interested in patients, but I didn't expect you to be so knowledgeable about corpses as well," Luo Fei said, using a half-joking remark as his opening line.
“Then your thinking is somewhat biased.” Zhou Liwei shook his head and corrected him seriously, “Treating patients is only one part of our work. In my opinion, preventing the occurrence of diseases is actually more important.”
“Exactly!” Luo Fei exclaimed, feeling as if he had met a kindred spirit. “In this respect, the professions of doctor and police are indeed related. The work of law enforcement officers is not just about catching criminals, but more importantly, preventing crime from happening in the first place.”
Zhou Liwei gave a knowing smile: "That's why I arrived here around 4 p.m. To prevent cases from occurring, we must conduct pathological research. From this perspective, corpses have more research value than patients, because the bodies of the deceased undoubtedly contain the most abundant elements of various diseases."
"So, what has been discovered so far?" This was Luo Fei's biggest concern.
Zhou Liwei shook the small glass vial in his hand: "Detailed biochemical analysis is still needed."
"Biochemical analysis?" Luo Fei looked at the grayish-white brain matter in the bottle with great interest. "Can mental stimulation also leave traceable evidence?"
"Of course. In your brain, every thought and every emotion is actually controlled by chemical reactions. Various chemicals secreted by glands stimulate the brain, thus forming all sorts of mental responses in the body. To give a more realistic example, you know about depression, right?"
Luo Fei nodded, signaling the other party to continue.
“Many people with depression deny that they are sick and refuse to take medication or undergo related treatment. They believe that psychological problems can be solved simply by thinking things through. This is completely wrong. Pathologically speaking, depression is actually a brain disorder, characterized by a decrease in the function of central monoamine neurotransmitters, especially norepinephrine and serotonin. These two substances play a role in regulating and stabilizing mood in the human brain. Therefore, psychological counseling alone is not enough for this type of mental illness; it must be combined with medication.” Zhou Liwei spoke eloquently, explaining a complex medical concept in a simple and easy-to-understand way.
Luo Fei had grasped something and, with bright eyes, pressed on, "So, specifically regarding the current case? What kind of results might your analysis bring?"
"My goal is to analyze the abnormal chemical components in the deceased's brain tissue, which will be related to the cause of death. This will give us the foundation for pathological analysis," Zhou Liwei replied briefly.
Luo Fei frowned and thought for a moment, then shook his head: "I'm sorry, I don't quite understand. We already know that this person's death was caused by excessive fright. As a psychiatrist, you should know which chemicals stimulate the brain to produce a physiological response of fear, right?"
“Of course I know, and I understand your question: since we already know what the chemical components that cause fear are, what’s the point of my further analysis?” Zhou Liwei looked at Luo Fei with piercing eyes. “Captain Luo, I admire your initiative and logic. If you were to pursue scientific research, you would definitely achieve great things.”
Luo Fei smiled and said, "This is also thanks to your explanation. It was clear and well-organized, and you highlighted the key points. I am now eager to learn more."
“Hmm.” Zhou Liwei pondered for a moment, then put down the small bottle and rubbed his hands together. “Alright, then I’ll give a short lecture here about the pathology of fear.”
Luo Fei pricked up his ears, listening intently. Zhang Yu, standing beside him, also looked completely absorbed.
“Fear is a chain reaction in the brain. It begins with external stimuli and ends with various strong physiological reactions,” Zhou Liwei began his explanation. “These physiological reactions include rapid breathing, accelerated heartbeat, muscle tension, and so on. External stimuli are diverse, such as a spider sliding down the roof, a dagger held to your neck, a door that suddenly opens, or any unknown mysterious thing that makes you feel threatened.”
Zhou Liwei walked to the front of the deceased and pointed to the "skylight" on the top of the corpse's head: "Fear is controlled by an almond-shaped structure in the brain called the amygdala—roughly in this location. Of course, it's not on the surface, but very deep inside; I need special tools to reach it. That bottle contains a sample of the amygdala I just collected. It receives information from multiple areas of the brain and weighs their importance. When the situation is terrifying enough, the amygdala activates an automatic fear response through 'output neurons' in its central region, causing physiological changes."
Scientists, through the study of brain slices, carefully observed the process by which neurons in the central amygdala transmit fear signals. They discovered that a hormone secreted by brain glands—vasopressin—can enhance the activity of output neurons in a specific area of the central amygdala. In other words, vasopressin is the chemical substance that triggers a fear response in the human brain.
"So the content of vasopressin in these samples must be very high?" Luo Fei squinted, carefully examining the brain tissue in the small glass vial, as if he could discover many secrets with just his naked eye.
"That's very likely," Zhou Liwei smiled slightly, but then changed the subject, "However, we can't rule out some interesting developments."
"Hmm?" Luo Fei realized he had reached the key point and looked up at the other person intently.
"If a brain sample does not contain abnormal levels of vasopressin, but contains large amounts of other chemicals that have a similar stimulating effect on the amygdala, but are not secreted by glands in the brain..."
"I understand!" Luo Fei clapped his hands excitedly. "That can also cause fear, but this fear is not caused by real things, but by an external chemical stimulus, which is—hallucination!"
"The Devil's Foot!" Zhang Yu clearly understood the reasoning behind it, and he immediately recalled the story about Sherlock Holmes that Luo Fei had told him.
“That’s good. By figuring out the composition and source of this chemical substance, we can grasp the pathological principles behind the extreme fear that has gripped so many people in the past two days, and thus carry out corresponding treatments or prevent the recurrence of the cases.” Zhou Liwei said, while holding the small bottle in his hand and examining it, looking very confident.
"So, since there are hormones that stimulate the amygdala, are there any substances that can inhibit the activity of the amygdala?" Luo Fei stroked his chin, his thoughts jumping to another question.
Zhou Liwei's gaze held not only admiration but also surprise: "Captain Luo, I have to admit that every step of your thinking has hit the nail on the head! The glands in the human brain can also secrete another hormone called oxytocin, which can inhibit the activity of neurons in the amygdala."
"In other words, if we can synthesize oxytocin, we will have found a way to alleviate fear in the human body, and it may even be possible to cure patients who have developed schizophrenia due to fear?" At this, Zhang Yu's eyes lit up.
“Oxytocin cannot be synthesized artificially. However, there are some chemical substitutes. Coincidentally, I have been conducting research in this area for the past two years. And this is my achievement.” As Zhou Liwei spoke, he reached into his white coat and took out a small medicine bottle from his jacket pocket. It was clear that the bottle contained some powdery substances.
"Now that you've achieved results, why don't you go and help those patients?" Luo Fei asked, puzzled.
"This is just a laboratory result, far from clinical application. We only know it has a fear-suppressing effect, but we are unaware of other potential side effects. Before it can be put into use, it must undergo a long drug trial process. It's frustrating, isn't it? As a doctor, you are confident in treating a certain disease, but you can't do it. Captain Luo, it's similar to you police officers who know someone has committed a crime but can't arrest them without evidence."
Luo Fei smiled again. The other person's words were also very insightful in getting to the heart of the matter, which made their communication very easy.
Zhang Yu, who was originally a medical student, benefited greatly from Zhou Liwei's explanation. He exclaimed in admiration, "The achievements of modern medicine are truly amazing. Problems that seem inexplicable and unsolvable suddenly seem to have a clue after listening to Professor Zhou's explanation."
"No, things are far more complicated than you think." Luo Fei's tone turned serious again. "I received a phone call this afternoon, and the contents of that call will leave you very confused."
"What call?" Zhang Yu's eyes widened, showing both curiosity and worry.
Zhou Liwei wasn't as excited as Zhang Yu: "You mean the phone call from Yunnan?"
Luo Fei was taken aback, then realized: "She called you too? So, you already know about the prophecy."
Zhou Liwei nodded with a worried expression.
"What do you think?" Luo Fei asked for the other party's opinion.
As a university professor who has returned from studying abroad, such an absurd thing would probably be regarded as nonsense, right?
However, Zhou Liwei's answer was somewhat unexpected by Luo Fei.
"I've already booked my plane ticket, and I'll be flying to Yunnan first thing tomorrow morning," he said solemnly.
Chapter Six: The First Patient
Yunnan, Kunming Airport.
Although it was the height of summer, the climate in Kunming was still refreshing and pleasant. As Luo Fei crossed the tarmac, he couldn't help but take a few deep breaths of the local humid air, which immediately cleared his head, which had been groggy from the long flight, and seemed to relax the tension that had been building up for the past two days.
Zhou Liwei walked ahead of Luo Fei, chest out and head held high, his steps firm and powerful. It was clear he was a busy man long accustomed to the life of a pilot. Led by him, the two quickly headed towards the airport exit, walking in a straight line without veering off course.
Compared to the other travelers, whether leisurely or weary, these two individuals undoubtedly possessed a unique and outstanding quality, drawing the attention of everyone waiting to pick them up at the exit.
"Are you Professor Zhou Liwei?" An elderly man squeezed through the crowd and extended his hand to greet him. Although he was an elder, his tone and expression were full of respect, a respect that stemmed from his reverence for knowledge and authority.
He knew that he was about to meet one of the few top experts in the field of psychiatry in the country.
Zhou Liwei politely shook hands with the old man: "Are you Dr. Liu?"
Luo Fei stood diagonally behind Zhou Liwei, showing no interest in the small talk between the two colleagues. His gaze was drawn to the young woman who had followed the old man.
This was a young woman in her early twenties from the South, with fair skin and delicate features. She was dressed in a sporty outfit of a T-shirt and jeans, and although she was slender, she exuded an undeniable youthful vitality. Her long, black hair cascaded over her shoulders, adding a touch of quiet, student-like elegance.
Seeing Luo Fei staring at her, the girl smiled, revealing her clean, white teeth: "Officer Luo, right? I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly."
Luo Fei had already guessed the girl's identity quite accurately, and now, hearing her voice, he was even more certain. He politely returned her smile: "Hello, should I call you... Xu Xiaowen?"
"Was it you who made the call?" Zhou Liwei turned to look at the girl, frowning as he said, "If what you said is true, then it's really hard to explain."
“I can vouch for all of this,” the elderly man surnamed Liu answered for the girl before she could. “Six months ago, when I brought Xiaowen to the Kunming Mental Hospital, she translated the patients’ local dialect on the spot. However, at the time, we all thought it was just some crazy talk from the patients. Yesterday, after learning about the recent events in Longzhou online, we were definitely the most surprised people. Professor Zhou, Officer Luo, one of you is a psychiatric expert, and the other is a master of solving cases. We hope you can provide a reasonable answer.”
Luo Fei and Zhou Liwei exchanged a glance, and almost simultaneously expressed the same thought: "Take us to the scene first."
The mental hospital is about a forty-minute drive from the airport. Along the way, Dr. Liu recounted the events leading up to and following the admission of this mysterious patient.
"We still haven't figured out the patient's true identity. In January of this year, a film crew from the provincial television station found him while shooting a science program in the jungle near the border. He was elusive in the jungle, often stealing food from the crew. At first, the crew thought they had encountered a legendary 'wild man,' and followed him for several days before finally capturing him. They discovered that he was proficient in using modern tools, suggesting he was a modern human lost in the jungle. What puzzled everyone was that he was constantly in a state of extreme fear, seemingly suffering from significant mental problems. So the crew took him back to Kunming and sent him to our mental hospital. Because we don't know the cause of his illness, it's difficult to begin treatment. We tried to communicate with him, but without success. From some indications, he should be able to understand what we're saying, but he never responds. He just keeps repeating strange phrases to himself. Logically, these phrases should contain the most profound impressions he had before his illness."
“That’s right.” Hearing this, Zhou Liwei nodded in agreement. “Moreover, this thing is very likely the cause of his illness.”
"This is a very reasonable inference. However, we couldn't understand what they meant at the time. Later, we asked Xiaowen to come, and the problem was solved, but the meaning of those words led us into even deeper confusion." Dr. Liu spread his hands helplessly.
"Now that Officer Luo and Professor Zhou are here, I believe the answer will be revealed soon." As Xu Xiaowen said this, although she mentioned the two people's names, her eyes remained fixed on Luo Fei.
Luo Fei felt a little embarrassed by her gaze, and gave an awkward laugh, saying self-deprecatingly, "Do you have that much confidence in us? But after hearing about the current situation, I have absolutely no clue what to do."
“You can definitely do it.” A sly glint suddenly flashed in Xu Xiaowen’s eyes as she spoke in a slightly mysterious tone, “I’ve heard stories about your past.”
Luo Fei's heart skipped a beat. No wonder there seemed to be a sense of déjà vu in her expression and gaze when they first met at the airport. But he had never publicly publicized the cases he had handled, so how could she know about them?
"What have you heard?" Luo Fei couldn't help but ask.
Xu Xiaowen smiled but didn't answer. Just then, the car stopped in front of the mental hospital building. Dr. Liu told everyone to get out of the car, and the conversation couldn't continue.
Because of the patient's bizarre symptoms and extremely unstable mental state, he was admitted to a secluded little building in the hospital. This building was specifically prepared for critically ill patients whose condition was difficult to control, and it had not been properly maintained for many years, exuding an old and gloomy atmosphere.
The group went up to the second floor and headed towards the small room at the end of the corridor. Xu Xiaowen recalled the terrifying scene from half a year ago, and a chill ran down her spine. She hunched her neck and took two steps closer to Luo Fei, as if that would make her feel safer.
Dr. Liu stopped in front of the wooden door of the small house, then inserted the key into the lock and gently turned it...
A chilling scream, filled with fear and despair, came from behind the door. Xu Xiaowen's breathing became rapid, Luo Fei frowned slightly, and Zhou Liwei's eyes twitched. Only Dr. Liu remained unfazed, appearing completely indifferent.
The wooden door was pulled open, and the lights inside were turned on. The patient huddled in the corner, burying his head in his arms, trembling all over, looking utterly terrified.
"Hey, don't be afraid. We're not bad people, we won't hurt you," Dr. Liu said in an extremely gentle tone.
The patient stopped shouting, and shakily raised his head. Under the light, people could finally see his face clearly.